Air Canada flight delay compensation, when the Canadian rules require it, uses the large-carrier column. The Canadian Transportation Agency lists Air Canada, including Jazz and Rouge, among large airlines for the Air Passenger Protection Regulations. This page does not claim Air Canada delays more than other carriers, denies valid claims, or owes a particular passenger. It states the published minimums if a disruption was within the airline's control and not required for safety.
The figures, if that test is met
For a delay or cancellation in that category, section 19 of the APPR sets minimums by how late you reach the destination on the original ticket:
- $400 if you arrive three hours late or more, but under six
- $700 if you arrive six hours late or more, but under nine
- $1,000 if you arrive nine hours late or more
A safety-required delay, or one outside the airline's control, does not use this table. Weather at a hub is the obvious example. You may still have rebooking or refund rights. Those are not the same as the inconvenience amounts above.
Ask Air Canada for the compensation before the first anniversary of the flight. The regulation gives the airline 30 days to pay or to explain why it will not. Keep the request and the reply.
Denied boarding
If you are denied boarding for overbooking within the airline's control and not for safety, the minimums are $900, $1,800, or $2,400, depending on whether the alternate flight gets you in under six hours late, six to nine, or nine or more. Payment is due within 48 hours. The same numbers apply on a small airline. Size changes the delay table, not this one.
Does a codeshare change the amount?
If a small airline is carrying you on behalf of a large one under a commercial agreement, the CTA says the large-airline obligations can apply to those passengers. Read the ticket. Do not guess from the aircraft door.
The country-wide version of these rules is the Canada APPR guide.